Brussels, 30 August 2016, (European Commission media release) – Today the Commission has put forward a proposal to the European Parliament and Council to designate 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. In doing so, the Commission is seeking to highlight the role of Europe’s cultural heritage in fostering a shared sense of history and identity.

From archaeological sites to architecture, from medieval castles to folklore traditions and arts, Europe’s cultural heritage is at the very heart of the collective memory and identity of European citizens. The EU’s rich national, regional and local diversity is a unique catalyst for exchanges between people of all ages, social backgrounds and cultures. At a local level, Europe’s cultural heritage fosters social cohesion and integration through the regeneration of neglected areas, the creation of locally rooted jobs and the promotion of a shared sense of community. This is also true at European level, when visitors from Europe and beyond visit and learn more about the Abbey of Cluny in France, the Archive of the Crown of Aragón in Spain or the historic Gdańsk Shipyard in Poland, to name a few examples.

This is why, especially at a time when world cultural treasures are under threat and are being deliberately destroyed in conflict zones, the Commission considers that cultural heritage deserves a European Year in 2018. Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “Our cultural heritage is more than the memory of our past; it is the key to our future. A European Year of Cultural Heritage will be an opportunity to raise awareness of the social and economic importance of cultural heritage and to promote European excellence in the sector. I call on the European Parliament and Council to support our proposal and invite all stakeholders to help make this year a success.”

In addition, cultural heritage plays a strong economic role. Over 300,000 people are directly employed in the European cultural heritage sector and 7.8 million European jobs are indirectly linked to cultural heritage, for example in tourism and building works, ancillary services such as transport, interpretation services, maintenance and security. In 2011 alone, cultural heritage generated €8.1 billion in France from museums, the operation of historical sites, buildings and visitor attractions, as well as from libraries and archives.

The 2018 Year of Cultural Heritage will be an occasion to highlight the importance of European culture, and what the EU can do regarding conservation, digitisation, infrastructure, research and the development of skills, to name just a few areas supported by EU funding programmes such as Creative Europe. Events will be organised across Europe, as well as information, education and awareness-raising campaigns.

It will provide an opportunity to seek answers to the challenges of decreasing public budgets in culture, declining participation in traditional cultural activities, environmental pressures on heritage sites, evolving value chains and digital transformation. In line with the recent Joint Communication “Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations“, it will promote the preservation of cultural heritage as a key element of the EU’s external policies, searching for responses to the criminal destruction of cultural heritage in conflict zones and the illegal trafficking of cultural artefacts.

Peace Through Tourism

How Travel & Tourism Can Help Restore the Balance in the Emerging New World Order

"The travel & tourism buzzword of the 21st century will be the search for balance."

That forecast was made by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire, in the monthly strategic intelligence publication of PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, way back in February 1999. Today, it is proving spot-on as the word "balance" resonates across all industry sectors.

Travel industry conferences seeking a speaker who can offer some unique historical hindsight, unconventional foresight and thought-provoking insight on how to rebuild and restore the balance in Asia Pacific travel & tourism can email Imtiaz Muqbil by clicking here.

There Can Be No Sustainability Without Spirituality

The New World Order will be dominated by a resurgence of spirituality.

Imtiaz Muqbil claims to be the world's only travel journalist to have visited the Holy Spots of all the major world religions -- Lumbhini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Nalanda, Jerusalem, Vatican City, Amritsar, Makkah, Madinah, Najaf and Karbala, as well as religious spots such as Angkor Wat, Bagan, Shwedagon Pagoda, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of The Tooth, Somnath Temple, Samarkand, Bukhara and many other great mosques, shrines, temples and cathedrals worldwide.

Sustainability, ecotourism and health & wellness travel have all become so 'yesterday'. Prepare for the new generation of travel in the New World Order and raise the bar of your next conference, management forum or seminar by hearing Imtiaz Muqbil's thoughts on this unmatched game- and life-changing experience.

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Secrets of Thailand's Tourism Success

Why the Amazing Kingdom is notching up record-breaking arrivals, and what challenges it faces next

The Thai tourism industry has become by far the Kingdom's most successful service sector, one of its leading job-creators and foreign exchange-earners. Behind this success lies a fascinating history of great branding campaigns, policy and regulatory changes, budgetary bunfights, strategic thinking and influence of Royal events.

But this success has now bred a new set of management challenges that may be more difficult to overcome.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has been monitoring the pulse of the Thai travel industry full-time since 1981. Industry conferences and management meetings wishing to benefit from a treasure trove of insights and hindsights on one of the world's great tourism success stories can drop an email here: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

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The Rise of the Whistle-Blowers

For 15 years (January 1997-July 2012), Imtiaz Muqbil penned a hard-hitting fortnightly column called “Soul-Searching” in the so-called “newspaper you can trust”. In July 2012, the column was gagged, with no explanation.

Over the years, four columns had explicitly forecast the rise of whistle-blowers -- a prediction now coming 100% true. Read the four columns by clicking on the links below.

Too Bad Your Ad Is Not in This Spot

Space available for unique ads that demonstrate commitment to helping physically-challenged people, building global peace, improving social and cultural cohesion, providing opportunities for the under-privileged, alleviating poverty and combatting global injustice & corruption.

If your product is not meeting any of the above goals, please advertise elsewhere.

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News Vs Noise

A Unique Course for Travel & Tourism Communicators In The Internet Era

By far the vast majority of media communications in the travel industry is boring, banal and bland. The same way it has been for the last 30 years.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has designed a special communications course to help upgrade both the context and the content of industry media material, and make it more interesting, readable and, most important, relevant.